Hello Everybody. It's been awhile. New year and December had been rather busy for me, so there was a lack of updates. Can't say much for the near future too, so hopefully I get to update this more regularly. Regardless, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. And a belated Happy New Year to you all.
The world was aflame. The ground was a brilliant orange as a great wave of fire swept across the land. Everything in the shade of the great cliff was alit, their illumination so great that it was as though the night sky had been banished to make way for a new day.
And I merely sat there, watching everything from the comfort of the sky, as detached from everything as though I was but a pale remnant of what I was.
"Enjoying the view?"
Another figure floated into my view, clad in shining silver armor, its features completely covered in the shadows of its helm. A circle of runes was suspended behind him, and now that I noticed, one was behind me as well. A sheathed sword was strapped onto his waist, though I could just barely make out the multiple runes carved upon its handle.
Wait, how did I know that they were runes?
"War, it never changes." My companion let out a snort of contempt.
I opened my mouth to reply, only to realise that I could not. It was not for the lack of trying, merely that I couldn't feel it. Though I would definitely admit that I was calmer about this than I should be.
I could definitely hear the screams now, the horrified screams of the those in the inferno below. I was not distraught at the fact that those exists, but more so at my inability to do be anything but indifferent to it.
What am I if I were unmoved by such screams of pain?
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
I glanced at the source of the voice, but found nothing. In fact, Nothing was probably the only thing to describe that space, I could tell that there was something there, but the emptiness oozing from that twisting space was… the only way I could describe it.
"Maybe they didn't need to burn, maybe they only needed to die, but it wouldn't be so much more delightful, now would it?"
The disturbance moved closer, a writhing void that just simply hurts to look at. Just simply looking at it was nauseating enough as it was. I would've left already, if I knew how.
So, reality check. I cannot speak, cannot move, and was forced to watch this burning scenery before me with a disgusting ball of nothing for a companion. Well, that checks out.
"... You find me annoying, don't you?"
Wait, how did it-
The spacelessness pulsed, though I could feel a faint sense of displeasure from it.
"Well… Soon you will learn to appreciate me, my child of sin…"
I blinked as sudden light filled my vision. These were not the orange illumination casted by the burning forest just now, these reminds me of the morning rays given by the sun.
I blinked a couple of times as I gathered my thoughts. Actually, scratch what I said just now, it is morning and I am in an inn. Sitting up, I looked around the slightly impoverished room I had rented last night. There was also a large curtain hanging from the ceiling that divided the room between Elena's and my spaces. Judging from the soft snoring I hear from the other side, she was likely still asleep.
However, enough of that. I focused my thoughts as I tried to remember what I saw probably just moments ago. There was… fire? A spirit? I grit my teeth in frustration, mostly because I have a sudden urge to sock a particular person in the face, though for the life of me I could not remember who it was.
Taking a deep breath, I calmed myself. Logically speaking, there was no use trying to recall something that was so blurred out anyway.
I should probably leave this for later.
"Elena. It's time to wake up."
"Sir Motoyasu?" Elena called out sleepily from the other side of the curtain. "U-understood." A slight 'pomf' sound told me otherwise.
Huh… Well, it's not like I could ever blame somebody else for loving to sleep….
Gripping the spear in my hand tightly, I swung it at an oncoming skeleton. Its bones shattering easy at the impact and I barely flinched as the splinters bounced off me harmlessly. It was a huge improvement compared to my first day on the job, considering how many times I would have died if these skeleton's weapons were able to make it past my armor.
Elena, meanwhile, had realised that slashing attacks were ineffective against the current enemy and had adapted accordingly by crushing the skeletons with the sheathe of her blade, which was apparently hard enough to be used as a club.
However, our apparent success against our current enemy did nothing to alleviate the fact that we were still frustrated with our lack of progress. King Aultcray had arranged for us to meet with the mayor of the town, one Madam Silic, to discuss the current situation of the town of Exel. Apparently, it was far worse than I thought, or rather, it was the worst case scenario that I had hoped would not come to pass.
They had absolutely no clue as to why so many undead began to spawn outside within the plains that we were in right now.
Unoriginal name aside, the newly christened 'Fields of the Dead', was not only a place where we could gather clues as to the source of the recent undead uprising, but also a good farming and training zone, in gaming terms. I have to say that reality was much tougher than I would give it credit for, though with the recent rise with stats, the 'process' to getting stronger was becoming much easier.
The same could not be said for the group of walking dead we encountered.
There was something oddly satisfying about smashing a bony figure into bits. That one had been trying to flank me, which would have been bad news for me as it was rather hard to fight an enemy that was close up to me with a spear, which was too close for me to maneuver my weapon efficiently to defend myself.
Of course, I could have used a smaller form to fight, but that would defeat the purpose of training with the weapon whose standard form was was long .
Spinning the spear around, I struck another skeleton down with the haft, the undead falling to pieces as the strength behind that blow shattering it into bits. Another lunged for me, but a swift kick at it sent it stumbling backwards, creating an opening long enough for me to bring the blade of my weapon down on its skull.
As I watched the skeleton crumble to the ground, the sound of wood striking bone led me to peer behind me, just in time to see Elena brutally smashing the pommel of her sword into the head of another of those undead.
"That makes thirty." Elena counted breathlessly, her disheveled brown hair laden with bone splinters. I had suggested that she had some sort of headwear to make cleaning it out later a much easier job, but I had been firmly rebutted, something about a promise to somebody or something.
Come to think of it, she was blushing when she told me that… hmmmm…..
"Getting easier to kill them?"
"Yes, Sir Motoyasu!" It was rather impressive how she had an expression of somebody who scored really well on her graduation exam.
Well, considering that she lives in a fantasy world where they literally have to fight to survive, I can understand that.
"Looks like this would be it for today…" She mentioned halfheartedly.
"Yeah."
I shared her sentiment. Seven days of hunting, and we still have no clue as to where all the undeads were coming from. Especially since things had been becoming almost like a routine now that I am actually afraid that we would keep coming up short on any answers for the next few days.
That was a dangerous thought. I better hope it never comes to pass.
"We should get going. It's getting dark."
"Umu."
The sun has fully set by the time we returned to the town of Exel. The place was cozy, a sort of welcoming feel set in the orange glows of the torches that illuminated the medieval town, the type you would probably find in olden Europe. It was the sort of place that I would not have minded settling in if I set my mind on that notion. However, as things were, I had a job to do. Maybe, one day when I have settled on a goal in this world…
The first place we settled upon was the Merchant Guild. The place had been recommended to us by Madam Silic, and had proven to be the only way that we could provide for ourselves here through the materials we gathered in our investigation, as they were giving out rewards for the clearing of the skeletons in the field. Furthermore, it was our main source of information for the going ons in the kingdom and other more… less savoury bits of tidbits. A brief talk to the receptionist had us being quickly ushered into a room with four chairs surrounding a round table. No doubt used for meetings between 'business partners'.
"Sir Motoyasu! Good to see you again! If you come this frequently, I'll be needing to actually set time apart from you at this rate!"
"Hello, Mister Porpot. There will be no need for that, at least for the time being."
"Ha!"
Mister Porpot was a man with a robust figure. Sporting brown facial hair that would make most neckbeards blush with envy and decked in robes of green silk, he towered over me and was as wide as me and Elena combined. In fact, it would be hard to imagine someone like him as a merchant instead of a roaring drunk warrior. Hopefully, I would be able to get used to him one day.
Eyes twinkling, Porpot studied the materials we brought him very carefully. Drawing his gaze along the weapons and other materials we looted from the skeletons, he repeatedly jotted down figures in the small notebook he kept tucked in the sash around his waist.
"Mmmmmh, your wage today is six gold pieces. Does that sound agreeable?" He muttered as he placed six gold coins on the table.
Hmmm, looks like he has learned his lesson from the tongue-lashing Elena had given him when we first met. The giant of a man had tried to buy in the loot from our first foray at a big discount, but Elena was fortunately a daughter of a merchant before she became my companion and had called him out for his misdeeds. A few threats later and the man was quick to offer us the actual price and some compensation in exchange for us to not report this scandal.
Fortunately, our working relationship has improved considerably since then, I hope.
"Of course," Porpot continued, "If we cut it down to five gold, I could give you some interesting news I heard the other day…"
I raised an eyebrow at this remark. A gold coin was enough to feed a family of four for two months, and maybe have some more left over to buy a sheep, as Elena had put it. To ask for this much of a decrease for just some bit of news…
Porpot must have seen my doubt, for he quickly added, "I assure you, I have many contacts throughout the kingdom, and I know that this little bit of tidbit may help with your… errand."
Our work here was kept undercover as Madam Silca did not wish to worry her townspeople. As such, under official terms, we were merely passing by. So this means either Porpot's information system was actually that good to find out our intentions here, or he and Madam Silca are connected in some way. I was inclined to believe that it would be the former, for he had demonstrated surprising accuracy when I asked him things that I would presume no one but those that were keeping an eye on me specifically would know.
Such as the fact that I had amnesia. It was a dangerous gamble, letting someone unknown know about it, but the way he had replied to me then confirmed to me that he had known of it. What he was planning to use with that information, I do not know, but for now, I was willing to let the matter slide.
Add the fact that he was businessman at heart, that he would always be looking for profits while trying his best to keep a mutually beneficial relationship, I was definitely interested in the fact that he found something that would be of note to me and my quest.
I looked at Elena, a wordless question in my gaze. She met my stare, before nodding. Looking back at Porpot, I slid a single coin from the pile he placed before me back to him.
"North of the plains was the Exile's Forest, named for the fallen hero Rian some hundred years ago. There, it was said that sometimes one could hear his wail in the dead of night. Of course, I was inclined to believe that those were but mere rumours. However, recently, I heard tell of a shepherd who had caused quite a ruckus in his village nearby."
"So you want me to go to this 'Exile's Forest' on the words on a shepherd who believed he saw something?" I interjected, more than a hint of skepticism in my voice.
"Now, now, none of that. I promised you that this would be worth you time. As I was saying, I thought he was merely sprouting lies when I heard of it from my source. However, she took the initiative to go to the forest edge and found something."
"What?"
"The traces of a higher undead, a wight."
A wight was not something to be taken lightly. According to Elena and Porpot, it was classified as a third tier Undead, ranked among the third strongest undeads in the recognized Bestiary used by the Adventurers Guild and various kingdom, including the Melromarc kingdom. According to Elena, a wight can be easily dealt with by a full party of three level sixty or so people. However, we should be able to bring it down without much of a struggle, hopefully.
It was the following evening and I was already out camping at the edge of the Exile's Forest with Elena. I was rather surprised at her efficiency, in fact in just a single morning, she had managed to gather the resources from our local inn, the Church and the Pharmacy. All while I was overseeing repairs for our gear in the Smithy.
Right now, if somebody were to ask me to imagine a world without her, I can say that I am pretty screwed.
The wight was reported to be sighted only around the nightfall, that meant plenty of time to rest up before the eventual confrontation with the undead. And make small chatter.
"So, why are you here, Elena?"
It has been two weeks and a half since I had been traveling with Elena and yet I still do not even know half the things that the previous Motoyasu knew about her, if he did take the effort to do so, I mean. In fact, all I can glean from his memories and from what I had seen, she was just a prideful and practical person who had a crush on me. That's it, nothing more, nothing less.
Wait… Why am I trying to get to know her? Why the sudden urge? That was so out of character that I-
"Sorry, Sir Motoyasu?"
Our relationship, was strictly professional. At least until I sorted myself out. Right now, I have no idea what world I am in, what role I am supposed to have. All I know was that I have a King that has been backing me, a princess who wants to take advantage of me and who knows how many enemies out there. Anything else, can wait. I need to find out why I am here… So, I need information...
"What are the 'waves'?"
"Ah, giant waves of monsters that appear at regular intervals. The first one appeared over five years ago. They seem to just destroy everything in sight until a certain time limit before they stop and return to wherever they came from."
Hordes of monsters, huh. So was I called to help stop the waves? Or find our why they keep coming? If there was one thing I was absolutely certain of, it would be that these sort of things do not happen without a reason. There was no way that something set to happen between regular intervals would be part of the natural order. Something was definitely behind this phenomenon.
Though, that does beg the question. Was I meant to stop it, and if so, what then? What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to…
Holy shit, this is so bloody annoying. What I would give to just kick back and rela-
"Sir Motoyasu! Over there!"
I raised my head at Elena's cry. It appears that while I was absorbed in my self-reflection, the sun had already set, allowing the darkness of the night to blanket the area in its pitch black embrace. That did nothing to impede our mission,however, rather, it was incredibly helpful to us, if that unhealthy green glow emitting from within the woods were any indication.
"It's the wight." Elena whispered, a touch of nervousness lining her tone.
"Yeah," I muttered, more to myself than anyone else. Shouldering my weapon, I leapt off the hill and used the built momentum to begin a fast jog towards the light. A soft 'thud' informed me that I was joined by Elena who kept up with the pace I set as we quickly made our way towards the edge of the woods.
Courtesy of Porpot, we have been provided with a wealth of information regarding the various types of undead. A Wight is among the higher forms of its kind, and as such, possesses a multitude of nasty enemies, one of which was the ability to sense life.
As we neared the edge of the forest, the light grew brighter. The wight knows we were there, and it was coming out.
That was what we wanted.
As a dark shape marched out of the forest, I lunged forward, spear thrusting out at the figure before me. I was vaguely aware of another darting around the both of us to come up behind the figure, sword raised to strike it.
We would have killed it in mere seconds, if not for the incredible speed it showed as a dark blade etched with burning marks deflected Elena's blade, or the dexterity it displayed as a armored gauntlet seized the haft of my spear, halting it in its tracks. In that moment, I met its eyes, burning orbs of green that were filled in hatred and realized something too late.
I have made a terrible miscalculation.
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